Furniture caster



Nov. 13, 1934. R0. ISOLA 7 1,980,205

FURNITURE CASTER Filed July 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 13,1934 r I v 1, 80 2 Farm 1 om FURNITURE CASTER H 1 Raymond O. Isola,Alabaster, Mich., assignor of twenty per cent to August E. Proulx,Alabaster,

Mich.

Application July 14, 1933, Serial No. 680,419

2 Claims.

This invention relates to caster devices and more particularly to astructure provided with hinged casters and in which the part supportedby the casters, such as a chair, davenport, bed, or

' .li other heavy article of furniture, may be raised and supported bythe wheels when necessary, so that it may easily be rolled to anydesired point or place.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide a hinged casterdevice including a frame which can be readily secured to the article offurniture, and provide simple, practical, and substantial means forswinging the casters down into operative position so that the article offurniture will be supported thereby, and so that it may be readily movedas desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide readily operable footactuated means for swinging the casters into position to support thearticle of furniture, said means being of neat and attractiveappearance.

A further object is to design a caster frame device which is economicalto manufacture and install, which is almost completely concealed fromview, and by means of which heavy pieces of furniture can be readilymoved with a minimum of effort.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary part sectional front view of achair showing my caster device in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional side view.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the foot actuated pedal.

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the caster frame and actuatingmechanism, the broken lines indicating the outline of the chair frame.

Fig. 6 is a front view of the caster frame attached to a chair, thesolid lines showing the casters swung to raised position, the brokenlines showing them in position for supporting the chair.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which I have shownthe preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 indicates aconventional fireside chair of heavy construction which is too heavy tobe conveniently moved by one person, which is also true of davenportsand other heavy articles of furniture. End and side members 6 and 7respectively form the bottom frame of the chair, and .a preferably metalhousing 8 is secured to these side members by means of screws (notshown) or the like, and at a point intermediate the length of the chair.

A horizontally disposed shaft member 9 is journaled in the member 6 andhousing 8 respectively, one end of said shaft projecting slightly beyondthe back of the chair, and a foot pedal 10 is secured thereon and. isprovided with wings 11, said wings being shaped and disposed so thatthey are readily engageable by the operators' foot when it is desired toadjust the mechanisms.

Longitudinally disposed pins 12 are mounted in the housing 8, and casterframes 13 are pivotally mounted thereon and include a rubber tiredswivel caster 14 which can be of any conventional design, each casterframe including a shoulder 15 which, when the casters are swung down toposition to support the chair, engage the face of the side frame members7 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings.

Spaced apart ears 16 are provided on each caster frame in position asshown, and actuating rods 17 are pivotally secured thereto by means ofpins l8,'the opposite end of each rod being pivotally secured to a crank19 which is formed integral with or can be secured to the shaft member 9by means of a. pin, these cranks being opposed so that both casters aresimultaneously raised or lowered as the shaft is rotated.

An additional crank lever 21 is provided on the inner end of the shaft9, and one end of a spring 22 is secured thereto, the opposite end beinganchored to a pin 23 which is in turn anchored to the frame, and it willbe obvious that this spring serves to hold the casters in their adjustedposition, the spring serving to oppose the rotation of the shaft whenthe casters are in either raised or lowered position.

The housing 8 can be formed of any desired material and comprises thetop and side walls, the bottom being open, the top having an opening 24therein to accommodate the upper crank 19. A collar 25 is provided onthe shaft 9 directly adjacent the side wall of the housing 8 and servesto prevent end movement of said shaft.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that I have perfecteda very simple, practical, and convenient adjustable caster attachment bymeans of which heavy articles of furniture can be readily moved.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with the frame of an article of furniture, of a pairof spaced apart caster frames hingedly secured thereto and formed withshoulders adapted when in lowered position to engage the lower face ofthe furniture frame, a

horizontal transversely disposed shaft, cranks on said shaft, linksconnecting said cranks and the caster frames, a foot pedal mounted onthe shaft and adapted when actuated to shift said caster frames toraised or lowered position, and resilient means for holding said shaftand caster frames in adjusted position. 7

2. The combination with the frame of an article of furniture, of ahousing secured thereto, caster frame assemblies pivoted to the sidewalls of the frame, a shoulder on each frame for said caster frameassemblies in adjusted position.

RAYMOND O. ISOLA.

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